The present invention relates generally to electroactive polymer devices that convert between electrical energy and mechanical energy. More particularly, the present invention relates to rolled electroactive polymer devices and methods of fabricating these devices.
In many applications, it is desirable to convert between electrical energy and mechanical energy. Exemplary applications requiring conversion from electrical to mechanical energy include robotics, pumps, speakers, sensors, microfluidics, shoes, general automation, disk drives, and prosthetic devices. These applications include one or more transducers that convert electrical energy into mechanical work—on a macroscopic or microscopic level. Exemplary applications requiring conversion from mechanical to electrical energy include sensors and generators.
New high-performance polymers capable of converting electrical energy to mechanical energy, and vice versa, are now available for a wide range of energy conversion applications. One class of these polymers, electroactive elastomers, is gaining wider attention. Electroactive elastomers may exhibit high energy density, stress, and electromechanical coupling efficiency. The performance of these polymers is notably increased when the polymers are prestrained in area. For example, a 10-fold to 25-fold increase in area significantly improves performance of many electroactive elastomers.
Conventionally, bulky and static frames are used to apply and maintain prestrain for a single layer of electroactive polymer. The frames also allow coupling between the polymer and the external environment. These frames occupy significantly more space and weigh much more than a single polymer layer, and may compromise the energy density and compact advantages that these new polymers provide.
Thus, improved techniques for implementing these high-performance polymers would be desirable.